Parents are always worried about the safety of their babies and it is only natural. You probably must have heard about stories regarding sudden infant deaths. They sure are terrifying. Now that you have a baby, you need to be also aware of safe sleeping positions to minimize the risk the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) which takes so many lives every year. The best way to avoid it is by making your healthy baby sleep on his back.
Sleep practices that increases the risk of infant deaths
Here are some of the sleep practices that can actually cause sudden unexpected death in babies:
- Smoking in your pregnancy or after childbirth
- When the baby’s head or face gets covered with, risk of accidental overheating and suffocation increases.
- When the baby sleeps on his stomach or side
- Making the baby sleep on soft surfaces like waterbed, lamb’s wool, sofa or pillow.
Tips for safe sleeping positions for babies
Here are some tips on safe sleeping positions for babies:
1. Let the crib remain simple: make sure you don’t use comforters, quilts and wedges under the infant in the crib. Allow the baby to sleep with his feet touching the bottom of the crib. This way he won’t wriggle under the bedding. It is only best to use a clean and firm mattress that tucks in the bed clothes securely and fits the cot well. Also, ensure that the ends or sides of the crib is high enough so that the baby doesn’t crawl or climb out.
2. Don’t use loose bedding: you might be super sensitive about your baby but a water bed, sofa or an overly soft mattress is not good for your baby. Firm mattress is the best option. Experts believe that you should not have fluff bedding, pillows, stuffed animals or bumper pads around your baby while in the crib. In others words, don’t use anything that might cover your baby’s head while he is sleeping.
3. Don’t cover the baby’s head: only cover the baby with the blanket up to the chest leaving the arms exposed. This keeps the blanket from moving towards the head and prevents suffocation. Pediatricians suggest that you use baby sleep bag or sleep sack as a type of bedding in order to keep your baby warm without the risk of covering the baby’s head. The safest option is to use sleep bags that have fitted neck and arm holes but no hood. You can even wrap the baby in muslin or lightweight cotton which aids in keeping him from rolling on his tummy while sleeping.
4. Don’t share beds with infants: It is only best that infants don’t share beds with siblings, adults or parents. In case you have twins or more, make them sleep individually. It is not advisable to share with your baby particularly if your partner takes medications, smokes or drinks which can induce deep sleep. Using stuff life alcohol or drugs can considerably increase the risk of suffocation and SIDS in babies.
